Right now, it's hard to imagine the show's season 1 runtime was revealed, it was confirmed that the series' first outing will span eight hour-long episodes. While this will be significantly longer than the two-and-a-half-hour runtime of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, it also gives the series a chance to bring many overlooked facets of the book to life. The ability to include additional characters and storylines is the series' primary appeal.
The TV show's book-to-season breakdown has been a source of discussion, as the current plan is to adapt all seven books over the course of ten years. In the later years, it's feasible that the show would have to expand some of the books to two seasons, as the last few installments are packed with darker and more complex story elements. However, in the first few seasons, the writers should have no trouble including every forgotten aspect of the book in the episodes. In fact, there's a chance that Harry Potter season 1 might have a slower pace.
8 Episode 1: Harry Arrives At The Dursley’s & Finds Out He’s A Wizard
This episode will provide the exposition and set-up
In the movie, Harry doesn't spend that much time with the Dursleys, and his agonizing quest to get his hands on a letter from Hogwarts is sped up considerably. In episode one, the series will show the audience just how much Harry has to put up with while living with the Dursleys and communicate the depth of his desperation to escape. Getting a better sense of this status quo can only increase the magic of Hogwarts and the safety Harry feels when he arrives.
Bookending the first episode with Hagrid dropping Harry off and then arriving to change his life will also better establish their bond.
Ending the episode when Hagrid arrives on the island where the Dursleys have hidden Harry and reveals that he's a wizard is a great cliffhanger. While most audiences watching the series will be familiar with the world of Harry Potter, the show has the opportunity to take its time in setting up Harry's personal and emotional stakes, giving him a life of his own outside of his destiny as the chosen one. Bookending the first episode with Hagrid dropping Harry off and then arriving to change his life will also better establish their bond.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) |
80% |
82% |
7 Episode 2: Hagrid Takes Harry To Diagon Alley & Harry Makes It To The Hogwarts Express
Harry can ease into the Wizarding World and build anticipation for his arrival at Hogwarts
While the movie takes Harry away from the Dursleys and drops him directly at the Hogwarts Express after he leaves with Hagrid, there's actually a gap between these events in the book. Hagrid and Harry go to Diagon Alley and gather Harry's books, giving him his first taste of magic and wonder, but then Harry has to return to his normal life for about a month. Additionally, this pacing will give the viewer and characters more time to explore Diagon Alley. The conversation when Hagrid first tells Harry about Voldemort will be given the proper weight.
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However, the second half of the episode will be the most important, as this is when Harry meets Ron and Hermione for the first time. Though the trio doesn't fully come together until later in the story, this is when Harry and Ron initially bond. This moment comes to define both of their lives. By the final moments of the episode, Harry sees Hogwarts for the first time, is reunited with Hagrid, and his life is about to officially change forever, marking a divergence from the first chunk of the show.
6 Episode 3: Harry Is Sorted & Rides A Broom For The First Time
Harry's first few weeks at Hogwarts are action-packed
Though the meat of the conflict between Harry and Voldemort doesn't begin until a little later in the story, Harry starts making enemies from his first moments at Hogwarts. Most of the third episode could set up the enduring conflict between Harry and Draco Malfoy that defines so much of their school lives. This episode will also give the viewer insight into Harry's internal battle and fears during the sorting and introduce them to the atmosphere of Hogwarts.
A lot of the visual style will be showcased in the early episodes, especially as Harry is being introduced to Hogwarts.
's challenges as being the style and aesthetics of the world. The movies provided an immersive and unforgettable look and feel that the series must pay tribute to while standing out as a new installment of the franchise. A lot of the visual style will be showcased in the early episodes, especially as Harry is being introduced to Hogwarts. Just as importantly, his connection to Quidditch and his father will take center stage here.
The Harry Potter TV show is expected to premiere in 2026 (via Deadline).
5 Episode 4: Ron & Harry Save Hermione From The Troll & Harry Has His First Quidditch Match
The Golden Trio is formed and Harry proves he's not like other students
One of the biggest themes in Harry Potter is the juxtaposition between Harry's desire to be special and loved and his rejection of the idea of himself as the chosen one. It's a heavy burden to bear, and this part of the story does a good job of showing both sides of this internal confusion. When Harry and Ron risk their lives to save Hermione and their connection as friends is cemented, it demonstrates just how much Harry will rely on others throughout his journey.
While his first Quidditch match is an example of his extraordinary skills and is a win for Harry and his friends, Hermione and Ron also come to the rescue here. The three of them realize how much they can accomplish as a team, and their suspicions about Snape grow when they think he is jinxing Harry's broom. The Harry Potter remake's Snape casting will be vitally important in the development of Harry's complex and difficult relationship with Snape.
4 Episode 5: Harry Receives His Father’s Cloak & Discovers The Mirror Of Erised
The holiday episode will be an emotionally compelling break in the action
The holiday break in Harry Potter is typically used as a midpoint in the movies, with the last half of the year hurtling toward the epic battle that almost every book ends on. In The Sorcerer's Stone, Christmas is an important moment for Harry, as Dumbledore gifts him his father's cloak and he discovers the Mirror of Erised. After this episode, the remaining installments will move quickly and be action-packed, so episode five is a chance to slow down a little and reflect on everything that's happened to Harry.
Up until this point, Harry hasn't discussed his grief and longing for a family too explicitly, as he's been forced to grow up fast and learn to protect himself.
Up until this point, Harry hasn't discussed his grief and longing for a family too explicitly, as he's been forced to grow up fast and learn to protect himself. The discovery of the mirror allows Harry to sit with his sadness and begin to grapple with his new life as a wizard. Dumbledore is a far-away and mysterious figure in Harry Potter. However, his interaction with Harry at the Mirror of Erised humanizes him and demonstrates to Harry that this is a person he can rely on.
3 Episode 6: Hagrid Gets The Dragon Egg & Harry Encounters Firenze In The Forest
Harry gets his first taste of Voldemort's reach and power
Hagrid's penchant for magical creatures is a recurring theme in Harry Potter, and no scene demonstrates this better than when Hagrid gets a dragon egg. Throughout the episodes, the Golden Trio has been taking steps to piece together the connection between Hogwarts, the Sorcerer's Stone, and Voldemort. Hagrid has inadvertently been a large part of this, giving them clues despite his better judgment. Though it's by accident, the trio getting in trouble for visiting him is instrumental in furthering Harry's relationship with Voldemort.
This is Harry and the viewer's first foray into the Forbidden Forest, and the movie did an excellent job of making this scene appropriately terrifying. Voldemort has been a scary but far-away concept throughout the story, but Harry realizes how real he is when the dark wizard gets close to him for the first time in eleven years. Witnessing this power, Harry shows his bravery and only becomes more resolved never to let Voldemort get his hands on the Sorcerer's Stone.
2 Episode 7: Harry, Ron, & Hermione Go Through The Trials
The show can give each test plenty of screentime
The tests that Harry, Ron, and Hermione go through to reach the Sorcerer's Stone are one of the most exciting sequences in the book, and the show will only make this better. It's a fun yet high-stakes way for the viewer and characters to be reminded of everything they've learned about magic and the Wizarding World so far. One of the most disappointing parts of the movie is that one of the tests, Snape's potions riddle, is left out, as it's a slower-paced and logic-based problem.
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However, the Harry Potter show can touch upon every test and give Harry, Ron, and Hermione equal opportunities to shine. The movies consistently position Hermione as the hero and brains of every adventure, even though the split of responsibilities and heroic moments is much more even in the books. The tests show the strengths and weaknesses of the main three heroes and allow them to lean on each other when necessary.
1 Episode 8: Harry Faces Off With Voldemort
The ending of the Harry Potter show's first season must be unforgettable
By the end of the tests, it's become clear that Harry has to go on alone and be the one to defeat Voldemort. This is a recurring theme in Harry's life, and while it isn't fair, it's the way Harry rises to this challenge that makes him such a worthy hero. The reveal that Quirrell was the villain all along and not Snape is shocking, and Voldemort's parasitic attachment to him is a grotesque character design that helps the viewer see Voldemort as a disease that infects people's hearts.
After their showdown and Harry's unexpected destruction of Voldemort and Quirrell, the film wraps up quickly, only giving Harry a few scenes with Dumbledore and his friends to tie up loose ends. Allowing for a little more breathing room at the end of the Harry Potter TV show will provide a satisfying conclusion and let the audience reflect on everything they've seen. If everything goes well, it shouldn't be too long before season 2 continues Harry's unforgettable story.
Harry Potter
- Showrunner
- Francisca Gardiner
- Directors
- Mark Mylod
- Writers
- sca Gardiner
- Franchise(s)
- Harry Potter
Cast
Dominic McLaughlinHarry Potter
Janet McTeerMinerva McGonagall
Albus Dumbledore
Nick FrostHagrid
